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Overall
Win/Loss Record : 22-44 fifth place
Atlantic Division
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Last Season’s Rank
24
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Projected 2012/2013
Finish
13
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Last
season’s Team Statistics and League Rank
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Returning
Individual Statistical Leaders
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Projected Starters Based on Last Season’s Performance, Veteran Seniority and Projected Impact
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Key Reserves Based on Last Season’s Performances, Veteran Seniority and Potential Impact.
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2012/2013
Projection: 48-34, tied for third
place in the Atlantic Division, will bring the Nets to the playoffs for the
first time in more than five years, but won’t go past the first round
Analysis:
They left their
former home a perennial bottom-feeder and much of the same was expected once
they moved across the Jersey bridge to Brooklyn; however, the Nets have
flipped the script and enter the season looking to make some noise. It started when Nets GM Billy King shipped
more than half of his roster to the Atlanta Hawks in order to acquire the
ridiculously expensive contract of Joe Johnson. He then managed to resign their prized free
agent Deron Williams to a max contract extension along with holding on to
rebounder extraordinaire George Wallace to the tune of 40$ million for four
years. Finally, giving up on the whole
Dwight Howard to Brooklyn pipe dream, King finally decided to move on and
resigned both of his big men Brook Lopez (four years at about 60$ million)
and Kris Humphries (two years at 24$ million) to join the starting trio of
Williams, Wallace and Johnson.
Altogether, King has added close 200$ million in salary commitments
for the next four years as the Nets enter their new home with a completely
new team and a completely new outlook.
Despite the
excitement of the Nets coming to Brooklyn with a completely revamped team
with a chance to make the playoffs, they are by no means anywhere near of
being a title contender. In fact, more
than likely they will remain just good enough to win the odd playoff series
at best only to be quickly eliminated by a much stronger team. The Nets do not even have a chance to win
their own division as there are three other teams whom are just as stacked,
or even more so than they are. With
their cross-town rivals the New York Knicks strengthening their second unit
adding veterans such as Marcus Camby, Jason Kidd, and Ronnie Brewer to go
along with their already deep roster, the Net probably will not even win the
battle of the burroughs. At best, all
King has managed to do is pay 200$ million to essentially make a terrible
team into an average team that will keep fans in their seats long enough to
justify their highly bloated ticket prices.
Sadly, this probably
will not last very long as two of the players that the Nets did acquire seem
to be on the decline as father-time will catch them before their contracts
expire. Joe Johnson, since signing
that mammoth contract extension worth close to 120$ million, has been in gradual
decline as much of his quickness and athleticism has deteriorated. While playing for Atlanta, his shooting and
ability to get to the basket greatly diminished and it had deteriorated to a
point where he had to be moved to the small forward position because he can
no longer guard at the two. He is not
going any better than he is now and more than likely he will get worse as age
and time catches up with him and the Nets will be stuck with him for the next
four years owing him up to 80$ million.
The cheers that Johnson received during his arrival will so turn to
boos as fans in Brooklyn will quickly realize that what they got in Johnson
is not a good as advertised.
The same goes for
Gerald Wallace, who has carved himself a reputation for being one of the
toughest small forwards in the league along with one of its best rebounders;
however, even father his has been catching up with him. In his younger days he dominated the glass
averaging double figures in rebounding while attacking the rim on both ends
of the court. Last season, it had become rather apparent while he played for
the Portland Trailblazers that time had started to take its toll as his
rebounding numbers took a dip last season and he was becoming less of a
factor on the defensive end as well.
Portland realizing that Wallace’s days was numbered, simply cut him
loose trading him to the Nets for future cap space because it had become so
blatantly apparent that he was no longer helping the team. Signing him to that four year 40$ million
deal will just assure Brooklyn of having an aging veteran whose best years
are behind him and will be stuck with his declining production for the next
four years.
On paper, it seems
as if the Nets have a good enough team to take on the league, but that status
is temporary at best. Sooner or later
they will find out that their 200$ million salary commitments over the next
four years will be more trouble than they are worth; however, right now they
are the talk of the town, but that will end as quickly as it begins. The only thing that Billy King managed to
do was extend his job security for another couple of years before his
superiors wise up on how incompetent he really is. Anyone who has observed him when he managed
the Philadelphia 76ers will attest to his poor choices in roster management
that kept Philly in mediocrity with Allen Iverson wasting his best years on a
team going nowhere. The same will most
likely occur in Brooklyn too as the Nets enter this New York borough with
excitement and optimism only to end up deflated and disappointed in the
future.
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Wednesday, September 19, 2012
SDH's 2012/2013 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 13. Brooklyn Nets
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